Corinth Films of Riegeslville distributes classics such as Fellini's '8½' and new movies

Renowned in Riegelsville

John Poole Jr. talks about his company. Corinth Films is a distributor of classic cinema and new theatrical titles.

John Poole Jr. talks about his company. Corinth Films is a distributor of classic cinema and new theatrical titles.

Amy Longsdorf, Special to The Morning Call

Riegelsville has a population of fewer than 900 but nestled in the teeny Bucks Country community is a world-class operation.

The father/son team of John Poole and John Poole Jr. run Corinth Films, a distributor of classic cinema and new theatrical titles. From their offices in Riegelsville, the Corinth team dispatch prints of vintage films like Italian director Federico Fellini's "8 ½" and "I Vitelloni" to movie houses, festivals and TV stations all over North America.

More recently, Poole Jr. has amped up the distributing of new movies. Since 2009, the company has issued about two dozen new movies both theatrically and on DVD. Acquired at international movie bashes such as the Berlin Film Festival and the American Film Market, Corinth's contemporary titles include Mika Kaurismaki's dark comedy "Road North"; James Rasin's documentary "Beautiful Darling" about transgender pioneer Candy Darling; Marleen Gorris' "Within the Whirlwind," the story of a teacher (Emily Watson) swept up on in the horror of one of Joseph Stalin's purges; and Volker Schlondorff's "Calm At Sea," the saga of French Resistance fighter Guy Moquet (Leo Paul Salmain).

Corinth's mission is a simple one: it wants to rescue great films and give them the theatrical and video distribution they deserve.

"We're interested in movies that are often overlooked, and movies that convey a significant message, even if that message isn't a popular one," says Poole Jr.

Poole Jr. is the first to admit there have been both misses as well as hits during Corinth's first few years in theatrical distribution. After scoring big in 2011 with "Beautiful Darling," for instance, Corinth discovered that few movie-goers were interested in "The Real American," a docudrama about Joseph McCarthy.

Poole Jr. and company even traveled to McCarthy's hometown of Appleton, Wis., in 2012 to premiere the film in grand style. But after a good review in the local newspaper and endless promotion, the film failed to attract an audience.

"Things were looking great until the opening Friday," Poole Jr. says. "We got the box office results and nobody came to see the movie. We were devastated."

Corinth's latest release, "Policeman," which bowed at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center at Lincoln Center in mid-June, fared much better. An Israeli film which Variety described as "a boldly conceived and bracingly told political drama," "Policeman" did well enough in New York to merit an expansion to other markets in Florida and Illinois.

"[The reception of] 'Policeman' is a huge psychological boost for us because it shows a successful theatrical release can be accomplished without a big Hollywood budget, just the right venue and some smart marketing," says Poole Jr.

Corinth was founded in 1977 by John Poole Sr., who became interested in movies after working as a production assistant on the Paul Newman-directed "Rachel, Rachel" starring Joanne Woodward and Estelle Parsons.

While Corinth was still headquartered in Manhattan, the company acquired the North American rights to Fellini's masterpiece "8½" in 1979. It was an expensive purchase but it turned out to be an essential investment for the fledgling company.

"It almost drove our company into bankruptcy," Poole Jr. says. "But through sheer determination, my father was able to get the financing, pay back the loan and keep the company going. And now '8½' is a cornerstone of our business."

In 2007, Corinth acquired the rights to Vittorio DeSica's "Bicycle Thief," another key film in Italian movie history. Along with "I Vitelloni," an early Fellini classic, the Riegelsville firm controls the rights to three landmark Italian features.

In 1986, the Pooles left Manhattan after rising rents made their Corinth offices too pricey. They settled on Bucks County for its beauty and proximity to Manhattan. (The company also maintains an office in Maplewood, N.J., run by vice-president Richard Evangelista).

"Moving to Riegelsville has been a blessing for us," says Poole Jr., who employs Allentown's Alpha Graphics to print Corinth's 40-page film catalogue. "I can get on the bus and be in New York in a few hours. I can do my business and then jump back on the bus and be back in the country the same day."

While acquiring classic films might not sound like a danger-filled profession, the Pooles have experienced plenty of hairy moments.

In the '70s, Poole Sr. traveled to Russia to negotiate with Russian distributor Sovexport Films, which controlled a library of Soviet classics stretching back to the groundbreaking work of Sergei Eisenstein.

A deal for the U.S. rights was worked out quickly but after Russian authorities determined that someone from the Corinth team had failed to pay their hotel telephone bill, Poole Sr. and company were detained at the Moscow airport. Their passports were seized until a payment plan could be worked out.

Another strange moment came when Poole Sr. received a call from Nixon's White House, asking for a screening of the 1952 British thriller "High Treason" right before the Watergate scandal broke.

"Variety did a story recounting that particular film booking," Poole Jr. says. "They ran it on their cover on March 26, 1975. I have it hanging in my office."

After surviving countless changes in the movie business through the years, the Pooles opted to get back into theatrical distribution in a big way in 2009 with "Habermann," a well-reviewed World War II docudrama.

"It's a magnificent story about how a good German tried to stand up to the Nazis, and protect the Czechs who worked for him. But everything he does is undermined by the Nazis," Poole says. "The Czechs are tricked into believing that [Habermann] is conspiring with them. It has a very strong 'no good deed goes unpunished' theme. In the end, everyone, even Habermann's friends and family, turn on him."

Many of the films that Poole Jr. has acquired are, like "Habermann," based on true stories.

"We try to acquire movies which are intellectually stimulating," Poole Jr. says. "We like historical dramas because they often make you think. We like political dramas and documentaries … We really don't partake in the Hollywood mainstream stuff like 'Harry Potter' and the 'X-Men' movies."

Even as they expand their business and look for potential investors, the Pooles continue to lease the rights out to "8½," which remains, 25 years after it was first acquired, an essential part of the Corinth business.

Oddly enough, Poole has never had any contact with Fellini, who passed away in 1993, or any member of his family.

"If Fellini's daughter ever visits New York, I'd be very happy to make her acquaintance," Poole Jr. says. "It would be an honor. Mr. Fellini's film is the cornerstone of Corinth Films. Before the end of my life, I'd love to meet his daughter and tell her how much Mr. Fellini means to all of us at Corinth."

• "The Bicycle Thief," Tuesday July 22: Academy Award-winning 1948 film, directed by Vittorio De Sica, follows a man in poverty-stricken postwar Rome whose bicycle is stolen on his first day of a new job. With his young son in tow, he sets off to track down the thief.

• "8 1/2," Aug. 5: Frederico Fellini film of 1963 stars Marcello Mastroianni as Fellini's alter ego Guido Anselmi, a film director overwhelmed by the large-scale production he has undertaken as he juggles romantic relationships.

•"Marriage Italian Style," Aug. 19: Lighthearted 1964 film directed by Vittorio De Sica follows Marcello Mastoianni and Sophia Loren as a successful businessman and his young lover through a tumultous relationship.